as in tortured
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as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
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Recent Examples of tormented
Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In 1976, the Legislature turned the California Coastal Commission into a permanent agency that has tormented property owners and localities ever since.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
No one seemed to see a problem in the body that tormented me.
—Leila Mottley, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Any scholar of religion and a lot of ordinary Christians know that the Pharisees who tormented Jesus and the Roman Empire were not elite but lower-middle-class.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2026
He is tormented by the Road Runner again and again and again.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.
—Midsi Sanchez, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Continuing his comeback from brain surgery in September 2023, Woodland experienced no problems with PTSD, a frightening condition that has tormented him off and on the past several months.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Inside are museum spaces that tell the story of Obama’s Presidency, grounded in the country’s tormented racial history.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In 1976, the Legislature turned the California Coastal Commission into a permanent agency that has tormented property owners and localities ever since.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
No one seemed to see a problem in the body that tormented me.
—Leila Mottley, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Any scholar of religion and a lot of ordinary Christians know that the Pharisees who tormented Jesus and the Roman Empire were not elite but lower-middle-class.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2026
He is tormented by the Road Runner again and again and again.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.
—Midsi Sanchez, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Continuing his comeback from brain surgery in September 2023, Woodland experienced no problems with PTSD, a frightening condition that has tormented him off and on the past several months.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormented
Adjective
-
But it was denounced in others after a group of Iraqi artists pulled out of the show, protesting a French artist’s work that featured graphic images of tortured Abu Ghraib detainees.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her excuse was that the robbery was a sign that Preston was plagued by bad luck.—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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In Rhode Island, school speech therapist Denise Champney said she’s seen children get so frustrated with the software’s animations and spoken prompts that one punched the screen of his Chromebook.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
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When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Nelson’s grandmother was afflicted with dementia at the time of first reading the novel while Miller Rogen’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 55 years old.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Some babies died, and several of those who survived were afflicted with infections or long-term health problems, their mothers said.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Over the years, we were constantly besieged with inquiries.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
His most recent drama, Evil Does Not Exist, examined the natural world as besieged by modern industry.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Why is any of this happening in person, rather than over harried texts?—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
During their harried getaway, Rodriguez crashed the scooter a few blocks away.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tormented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormented. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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